Do you coupon too?

For so long working moms (and dads) couldn’t be bothered to clip, save, and then remember to actually use coupons. Especially when those coupons were saving just a few cents on the dollar.

But now we are seeing coupon’s for FREE items, and really great discounts everywhere we look. Manufacturers and Retailers are doing more and more to win consumer loyalty, or even to get us to try their products or change our favourite store.

I hope to give you a few basic tips that makes using coupons easier and more worth while.

One thing that I want to talk about that really can’t be overlooked is finding a coupon system that works for you.

If you are want to save money, finding a couponing system that works for you is essential. In my couponing hayday, I had binders and accordion folders and I could find “money” nearly every shopping trip I took.

One simple way to store and keep coupons at hand is simply putting them in an envelope and keeping it in your purse or wallet. I don’t recommend this to anyone really but if you know you will only use one or two coupons a shopping trip this might be OK for you.

My first system involved me clipping and keeping nearly every coupon I came across in a little wallet sized folder that had 12 dividers, I would sort coupons based on expiry date by month. It was a convenient way to make sure I didn’t let any coupons expire before I could use them.

It didn’t take me long to figure out the flaw in that system, I would go out shopping and buy items because they were on sale, some times I would even stock up, only to find I had coupons on those items but they were filed in a later divider date, and didn’t think to look to use them.

So I started to sort my coupons by type. You would be surprised how many products actually have coupons available at any given time. Using the little photograph type brag books, I divided my coupons into grocery coupons (including pet products)in one book, (and further divided that book into sections that corresponded to the isles in the grocery store)

And the second book I kept for “stuff”. Laundry supplies, Bath and Beauty products, feminine hygiene, diapers, wipes, fast food, dining, personal services such as hair cuts, gas coupons, airmiles bonus coupons, and any other discount offer I could find going.

I found it easier this way and then I could check the expiry dates as I was using the coupon for something I needed rather than using a coupon because it was expiring.

I haven’t kept my coupon books up to date in some time so in my next couponing post I will tell you how I am going to get my coupon books back up to date and keep you posted on how the saving is going.